nordenfelt



(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. NORDENFELT. APPARATUS FOR OPERATING HEAVY ORDNANGB.

No. 425,623. Patented Apr. 15. 1890.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets8heet 2. T. NORDENPELT.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING HEAVY ORDNANGB.

Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

.- T. NORDENFELT. APPARATUS FOR OPERATING HEAVY ORDNANGB.

JNO. 425,623. Patented A r. 15, 1890.

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

T. BIORDEPIFELT. APPARATUS FOR OPERATING HEAVY ORDNANGE.

No. 425,623. Patented Apr. 15. 1890.

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 5. T. NORDENFELT. APPARATUS FOR OPERATING HEAVY ORDNANGE. No. 425.623.

Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

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6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

(No Model.)

T. NORDENFELT. APPARATUS FOR OPERATING HEAVY QRDNANQE. No. 425,623. Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT 'EEICE.

THORSTEN NORDENEELT, OF \VESTMINSTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE MAXIM-NORDENFELT GUNS AND AMMUNITION COMPANY, (LIMITED,) OF

SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING HEAVY ORDNANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,623, dated April 15, 1890.

Application filed March 11, 1889- Serial No. 302,754. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.

Be it known that I, THORSTEN NORDENFELT, civil engineer, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at 53 Parliament Street, in the city of Vestminster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gun- Mountings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object improve- IO ments in mountings for quick-firing guns. The mounting has a circular base which is bolted down to a deck or platform. There is a ring of teeth around the base, and a cylindrical pivot projects vertically upward from 5 the center. An upper frame is supported by rollers which run upon a roller-track upon the base. The rollers are conical, and are kept at suitable distances apart by a frame which travels round with them. In the cen- 20. ter of the upper frame there is a cylinder. It fits upon the cylindrical pivot. A joint is made by the aid of a cupped leather, and oil or liquid is forced in by means of a pump, so that the upper frame is floated upon the liquid and but little pressure comes upon the rollers. The upper frame has two standards with bearings for the trunnions of the cradle, in which the gun lies. To relieve the weight upon the bearing a lifting-bar is provided 0 in each. It passes up into the bearing and the trunnion rests upon its upper end. The lower end of the lifting-bar is formed as a plunger, and it enters a cylinder upon the standard, and liquid under pressure is supplied to this 3 5 cylinder. The pivot-cylinder communicates with the other cylinders, and the areas are so adjusted that the trunnions cannot be actually raised in the bearing, because the rollers previously mentioned would first be re- 0 lieved of all weight. The gun is without trunnions or similar projections; but a jacket is shrunk upon it where it rests in the cradle. Flats are formed at the bearingsurfaces. These are arranged on either side of and equi- 5 distant from the center line and are inclined at an angle of about forty-five degrees. The gun is prevented from rising in the cradle by lugs, which project inward from it on either side about on a level with the trunnions, and

the jacket is grooved on either side, so as to form shoulders,which thelugs upon the cradle overhang. The elevating and training gear is so arranged that it can be worked by one man by means of two hand-wheels side by side on concentric axes. On one of the standards of the upper frame there is a bracket carrying a horizontal axis. On one end of this axis there is a hand-wheel and on the other a beveled pinion. The pinion gears Witha corresponding pinion on a vertical shaft, which at its lower end carries a worm. By the worm a worm-wheel on a horizontal axis is driven, and on the same axis, held by a frictional coupling, there is a toothed pinion, and this latter gears into an arc of teeth upon the cradle. Thus by turning the hand-wheel the elevation of the gun can be adjusted. Another hand-wheel is provided upon a sleeve surrounding the axis of the first wheel and free to turn upon it. The sleeve also carries a bev- 7c eled wheel, and this gears with another similar wheel on a vertical axis mounted upon the standard, and this axis at its lower end carries a pinion,which is engaged with the ring of teeth surrounding the exterior of the base.- Thus by turning this second hand-wheel the gun can be trained. The recoil is controlled generally by two hydraulic cylinders fixed upon the gun itself at its breach end, and rams projecting rearward from the cradle enter these cylinders. Springs contained in these cylinders cause the gun to return again immediately after recoil.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the gun and mounting, together with a portion of the gun. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 4 is a rear elevation. Fig. 5 is another side elevation. I11 this figure the shield is partly-in section, and many parts not shown in Fig. l are here indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the mechanism for supporting the gun. Fig. 7 is a view of the same looking at the side of the gun. Fig. 8 is a detail View of one of the cylinders and rams. Figs. 9 and 10 are detail diagram views of the mechanism for elevating and turning the gun..

a. c. is the base. It is bolted to a deck or foundation by bolts to a. The central cylindrical pivot a? forms part of the base, and

a with teeth a is fixed upon the base a, and

there is a flange a upon the ring, which is embraced by clips upon the upper frame. The upper frame consists of a bottom plate or disk Z), in the center of which is the cylinder b, fitting over the pivot a and on either side of the standards b carrying the trunnions- 19 U, are clips uponthe upper frame, which embrace the flange a b is the shield fixed to the upper frame.

0 c are conical. rollers interposed between the parts a and b, and c is a frame holding the necks of these rollers to keep them equidistant. The ring around the base confines the rollers at their outer ends.

d is the cradle, and d d are its trunnions. e is the gun lying in the cradle, and e 6' its bearing-surfaces, for the gun is without trunnlons. These surfaces are formed upon a ring shrunk around the gun.

e e are notches formed in this ring on either side, and d d are lugs upon the eradle, which enter the notches, so that thegun can only slide endwise in the cradle.

b is a cupped leather making a tight joint around the pivot a 19 is apassage by which oil is forced from time to time into the cylinder b by means of a force-pump, (not shown in the drawings,) in order to relieve the pressure upon the rollers.

b b are cylinders fixed upon the standards 19. They are provided with rams 13 which pass up through the bearings and press upon the under sides of'the trunnions d. The cylinders are connected with the pivot-cylinder Z) by pipes, so that the oil in all the cylinders is at the same pressure; but the areas are so proportioned that the trunnions cannot be raised in the bearings, although most of the weight of the cradle and gun is supported on the heads of the rams 19 The cradle has on it an arc of teeth d and these teeth engage with a pinion upon an axis f, carried by one of the standards 12 The same standard also carries the upright axis f, and these are geared together, as shown, by a worrmwheel on the former and a worm on the latter. To avoid undue strains, the worm is connected with its axis by a frictional coupling. The

axis f is geared bybeveled pinions with the horizontal axis f also carried by the same standard.

f is a hand-wheel on the axis f and by turning this the proper elevation is given to the gun in aiming. The axis f 2 passes through the hollow axis or sleeve 9, carried in a bearing on the standard.

g is a hand-wheel, and g a beveled wheel, both upon the sleeve. The beveled wheel, by a pinion, drives the upright axis g on which is a pinion engaging with the teeth a The gun is trained or directed by turning the hand-wheel g. The sights are upon the cradle atv d and 61 and the gunner, while looking along them, isable to work both the handwheels f and g.

h h are cylinders fixed to the gun atits rear en d. Their weight brings the center of gravity of the gun and the trunnions nearer to the breech than they otherwise would be. it are pistons in the cylinders. and their rods 11 i' are fixed to the cradle. Coiled springs (not shown in the drawings) are confined between the front ends of the cylinders and the pistons. The cylinders are closed in rear by covers h, and they are filled with oil or other liquid. The sides of the cylinders are grooved, so that when the recoil takes place the liquid can pass the pistons, but with difficulty. Cupped leathers prevent the escape of liquid at the forward ends of the cylinders.

is a buffer provided to check the gun in running forward.

WVhat I claim is 1. The combination, in a gun-mounting,.of the base a, the upper frame I), supported by rollers c, the pivot-cylinder 7), charged with liquid relieving the load upon the rollers, the standards 6 on the upper frame, the cradle d with trunnions cl, carried in bearings on the standard, and the gun e, able to move longitudinally in the cradle.

2. In a gun-mounting, the combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the base, its central pivot, the upper frame 111 ounted on the pivot, the standards, the cradle mounted on the standards, the cradle-trunnions, and hydraulic supports interposedbetween the upper frame and its pivot and between the cradle and its trunnions.

3. In a gun-mountin g, the combination, sub- ICO stantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the base, the pivot projecting upwardly therefrom,

the upper frame carried on the base and pivoted thereto, a series of teeth on the upper frame, the standards on the upper frame, the cradle, the trunnions supporting the cradle on the standards, the toothed are secured to the cradle, operating--vheels, and gearing between the operating-wheels, the toothed arc,

and the teeth on the upper frame for elevat-.

ing and training the gun.

4. In a gun-mounting, the combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the base with a gear ring or are upon it, the upper frame pivoted to the base, the standards on the upper frame, the cradle, the trunnions supporting the cradle on the standards, the gear-arc secured to the cradle, two operating or hand wheels on concentric axes, (the axis of the one passing through the other,) and gearing between the operating-wheels, the

- gear ring or arc upon the base, and the gearare upon the cradle.

5. In a gun-mounting, the combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of thebase, the upper frame mounted thereon, the cradle mounted on the upper frame, the gun, a control-cylinder beneath the gun and fixed to and supported by the gun at its breech end, and a piston working in said cylinder extending forwardly and fixed at its front end to the cradle.

6. In agun-mounting, the combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the gun, its cradle, the frame or support in which the cradle is mounted, the trunnions on which the cradle is pivoted, a recoil-cylinder beneath the gun and fixed to and supported by the breech end of the gun in rear of the trunnions of the cradle, and a piston working in said cylinder and fixed at its front end to the cradle.

7. In a gun-n1ounting, the combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the gun, a ring surrounding the gun and having bearing-surfaces c e inclined the one to the other on opposite sides of its lower face, the cradle having bearing-surfaces corresponding with the bearingsurfaces e e on the gun, and lugs 61 011 the cradle entering notches 6 extending longitudinally in the gun, whereby the gun may slide longitudinally in the cradle and is held against lateral and axial movement.

8. In a gun-mounting, the combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the gun, a ring surrounding the gun and having bearing-surfaces e, the cradle having bearing-surfaces corresponding with the surfaces 6, and lugs d on the cradle entering corresponding notches in the ring which surrounds the gun.

THORSTEN NORDENFELT;

WVitnesses:

FREDK. E. HINTON, F. A. Noon. 

